Earlier glazing profile strips are described in Swiss Patent No. 671,998 (Application No. 1699/86) and European Patent publication 0 244 349 (Application no. 87810134.4). Said device of these patent documents substantially consists of three parts, namely a base profile strip which is placed directly onto the support structure of the building, a spacer also connected to it and a glazing stip having a substantially mushroom-shaped cross section and secured to the spacer. The present invention relates to the glazing profile strip only.
To this effect it is necessary to explain that the glazing strip holds, with each one of its sealing lips, a respective glass panel or a filler element along the margin on the outer side of the latter whereas the inner side rests on the base profile strip already mentioned. The glazing strip engages into an internal toothing of the spacer by means of an external toothing on its anchoring foot. This strip as well as the base profile strip are of such a shape that adjacent glass panels or filler elements as a rule lie in one plane. However, since both strips consist of elastomeric material, they are sufficiently resilient so as to permit angular positions between said panels or elements. Depending upon the extent of this angularity, the sealing lips of the glazing strip will become more or less deformed. If the angularity is great, it may happen that the deformation of the sealing lips will be so slight that their contact pressure is reduced. It is one of the objects of the invention to avoid this deficiency.
Not only the great angularity may bring about problems. Also at a small angle low pressures may occur on the outside of the building during wind gusts or storms. These low pressures can exert such a strong suction onto the panels or elements that there exists the danger of these elements being pulled away perpendicularly from the wall of the building. Above all this effect stresses the sealing lips of the glazing profile strip. Although they are bent upwards and therefore more strongly deformed, increasing their resistance, the forces deriving from the suction are transferred to the toothing already mentioned, requiring the latter to be strong enough in order to avoid that the glazing profile strip will be pulled out of the spacer. To this effect it should be favorable on buildings exposed to strong winds if the connection between the glazing profile strip and the spacer could be reinforced.
A further reason, although of somewhat lesser importance, for improving the glazing profile strip is to render the outside of this strip, i.e. the visible side, more diversified by applying different colors to it, this in view of the fact that this outside is of considerable width and therefore presents an outstanding appearance. This aspect, too, can be realized by the present invention, as will be explained later in detail.